Page 82 of The Breaking Point

It took a few different tries, but Brady finally found a sitting position that worked for him, grumbling the entire time.

“I can’t believe you’re taking me out for sushi,” I said. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

“You said I had to try it someday. Besides, if it makes you happy, I’m happy.”

His comment made my heart squeeze.

Once we’d been served platters of beautiful, colorful sushi, sashimi, and nigiri, the two of us were too preoccupied with eating to talk much. And I had to admit, I was thankful for it.

I was nervous still. I didn’t know how to act like Brady’s date. For so long, I’d been his foster sister, and he’d been the guy who’d refused my advances.

Then suddenly he was attracted to me, and now he was acting like ... a boyfriend?

It was all so strange that my brain couldn’t wrap my head around everything happening.

After that, we were focused on our food. To my delight, Brady ended up admitting that the sushi was amazing. He ate everything like a champ. It got to the point that we were almost brawling for the last slice of ahi tuna, which made us both laugh like idiots.

“So I wanted to talk to you about something,” Brady said after we’d finished our entree. He pulled out a piece of paper from his back pocket, along with a pen. “I wanted to set some ground rules.”

“Rules? For what?”

“Dating.” I could see that Brady had already written down some things. “For instance, no more being indoors together alone. That only leads to—”

“Fun things?” I interjected.

Brady glowered at me. “Second,” he continued, “no more showing up at my hotel room or sneaking into places to see me, or showing up near the locker rooms. Third, our first kiss can only last one minute. Our second, two minutes. Third, three. You catch my drift?”

He looked so serious that it took every ounce of self-control not to giggle. “I understand what you’re saying, but this seems a little extreme.”

“Extreme? No, I think this is the first smart thing I’ve done when it comes to you. Do you have any suggestions?”

I shook my head. Brady grunted and wrote down a few more things and then offered me the list.

I took it, read through it, and then promptly tore it into pieces.

“I agree to none of this,” I proclaimed, rather amused at Brady’s shocked expression. “Well, except sneaking into places to see you. I don’t want to get caught, especially by my dad. At least not yet.”

“I’m still going to have rules for us,” Brady said, crossing his arms over his chest. “We need to go slowly.”

“Brady, we’ve been doing foreplay for like a decade now. How much slower do you want to go?”

That made his lips twitch. “Slow, Grace. Just trust me.”

“So you’re saying I’ll be eighty-five before we have sex. Awesome.”

“Slow, Grace.”Brady leaned forward, his gaze intent. “Being patient will pay off for us both. Besides, I never said we’d be sleeping together.”

So much for all the condoms Kelly had given me. “Mmm, sure. Keep telling yourself that.”

Brady didn’t get a chance to respond before our server returned with our dessert, matcha ice cream and cherry-flavored mochi.

“How are your legs?” I asked Brady while we waited for the valet to bring Brady’s car around.

He winced. “So much for being an athlete.”

“Maybe you’re just getting old.”

“Behave yourself or I will take you over my knee again,” he said in a low voice near my ear.

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